ASB launches new loan to help NZ farmers switch to solar power
As electricity prices soar, farmers appear to be looking for alternative energy sources.
ASB has become the first bank to forecast a milk price above $9/kgMS for this season.
Senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown says the bank is lifting its forecast by 60c to $9.20/kgMS. The record milk price - $9.30/kgMS - was paid out in 2021-22 season.
He notes that rather than the downward sloping prices seen across the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) contract curve for whole milk powder prices at earlier events, they are now seeing the curve flatten, with average winning prices above US$3,500 MT over all contracts and WMP products, right through the key part of the season.
“Dairy prices are up significantly on year-ago levels, and we think Fonterra should have been able to already complete the bulk of this season’s USD hedging at a similar effective rate to last season’s US$0.6120. So we think Fonterra’s confidence to lift the milk price forecast range is well placed.
“In fact, we’re lifting our forecast for the season by 60c to $9.20/kgMS. It’d be great to see the previous $9.30 milk price record get broken, but we’ll wait to see a bit more of the season’s price action before calling that.”
He says how Fonterra can manage its product mix will be important, as well as the obvious importance of the trajectory for prices.
“We are not alone in expecting whole milk prices to trend lower at this time of the year, as they often do. But the opposite has been happening as Fonterra is hopefully capturing as much as possible of the very high prices in other products. There’s a balance of risks around any forecast, but at this juncture, we are comfortable to be picking a farmgate milk price in the top half of Fonterra’s forecast range, north of the $9 midpoint.”
On the eve of his departure from Federated Farmers board, Richard McIntyre is thanking farmers for their support and words of encouragement during his stint as a farmer advocate.
A project reducing strains and sprains on farm has won the Innovation category in the New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards 2025.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other sector organisations, has launched a national survey to understand better the impact of facial eczema (FE) on farmers.
One of New Zealand's latest and largest agrivoltaics farm Te Herenga o Te Rā is delivering clean renewable energy while preserving the land's agricultural value for sheep grazing under the modules.
Global food company Nestle’s chair Paul Bulcke will step down at its next annual meeting in April 2026.
Brendan Attrill of Caiseal Trust in Taranaki has been announced as the 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing and recipient of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the National Sustainability Showcase at in Wellington this evening.
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